1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a pattern data matching device for defining characteristic points that are established as appropriate within a pattern represented by finger print or palm print data, and matching pattern data to be verified (hereinafter referred to as "target pattern data") against pattern data that are prepared beforehand (hereinafter referred to as "file pattern data") based on such characteristic points data, as well as to its matching method.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A pattern data matching device verifies by matching target pattern data against file pattern data in order to extract data that coincide with or resemble target pattern data from a massive amount of file pattern data. Conventional devices for this purpose are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Laying-Open (Kokai) No. Showa 63-53588, entitled "Data Matching System" and Japanese Patent Laying-Open (Kokai) No. Showa 59-2183, entitled "Finger Print Matching Device."
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Showa 63-53588 describes a matching device for implementing a highly reliable matching process that can reduce time required for the entire matching process by including a fast matching means for matching target pattern data against file pattern data at a low precision and a matching means for matching at a high precision, and after excluding file pattern data that have been determined not to coincide with or resemble target pattern data from the subject of verification, conducting high-precision verification.
Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Showa 59-2183 describes a matching device that requires only a small storage capacity in a storing means, resulting in the overall compactness and reduced manufacturing costs, by including a storing means for storing all-linked data resulting from linking all characteristic points present in patterns within target pattern data, a storing means for storing all-linked data resulting from linking all characteristic points present in patterns within file pattern data, and a comparing means for comparing all-linked data associated with target pattern data with all-linked data associated with file pattern data.
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing the configuration of a conventional pattern data matching device. With reference to FIG. 6, a pattern data matching device 600 is connected to a matching controller 610 for transferring target pattern data and file pattern data to the pattern data matching device 600, and includes a data inputting part for storing temporarily data transferred from the matching controller 610, a target pattern data storing part 603 for storing target pattern data being stored temporarily in the data inputting part 601 after converting them into a data format suited for a matching process, a file pattern data storing part 604 for storing file pattern data being stored temporarily in the data inputting part 601 after converting them into a data format suited for processing on a pattern data processing device, a verification results storing part 605 for storing results obtained by matching target pattern data against file pattern data, and a data processing part 602 for controlling a part for executing the individual functions mentioned above and performing the matching process. The target pattern data storing part 603 and the file pattern data storing part 604 store one set of target pattern data or file pattern data, respectively.
The matching controller 610 includes a database that stores all file pattern data that have been prepared for matching pattern data and a database for inputting and storing target pattern data that are the subject of verification; it transfers file pattern data and target pattern data to the pattern data matching device 600 sequentially and receives the results of verification.
Operation of the above-described conventional pattern data matching device will be detailed below. First, the matching controller 610 transfers target pattern data that are the subject of verification to the pattern data matching device 600. In accordance with the control by the data processing part 602, the pattern data matching device 600 stores the target pattern data that it has received from the matching controller 601 in the data inputting part 601. Then, the data processing part 602 converts the target pattern data that are stored in the data inputting part 601 into a data format suitable for a matching process, and stores them in the target pattern data storing part 603.
Next, the matching controller 610 transfers file pattern data to the pattern data matching device 600. In accordance with the control by the data processing part 602, the pattern data matching device 600 stores the file pattern data that it has received from the matching controller 601 in the data inputting part 601. Then, the data processing part 602 converts the file pattern data that are stored in the data inputting part 601 into a data format suitable for a matching process, and stores them in the file pattern data storing part 604.
Next, the data processing part 602 verifies target pattern data that are stored in the target pattern data storing part 603 against the file pattern data that are stored in the file pattern data storing part 604, and stores the results of verification, that is, the information that indicates whether the target pattern data and the file pattern data coincide with or resemble each other or not, in the verification results storing part 605.
The matching controller 610 transfers the file pattern data stored in the database to the pattern data matching device 600 sequentially, and on completion of matching the data against all the file pattern data, receives the results of matching such target pattern data against each of the file pattern data stored in the verification results storing part 605. The matching controller 610 repeats the same operation on other target pattern data that are stored in the database. These verification results received by the matching controller 610 are utilized for various purposes, including authentication systems for ensuring security and investigations into criminal cases.
FIG. 7 shows the flow of the process that takes places in the above-mentioned pattern data matching device 600. With reference to FIG. 7, in one cycle of the matching process, the pattern data matching device 600 verifies one set of target pattern data against one set of file pattern data. More specifically, the process, wherein it stores the target pattern data in the target pattern data storing part 603 (Step 701), stores the file pattern data in the file pattern data storing part 604 (Step 702), and verifies the target pattern data against file pattern data (Step 703), is repeated for every set of target pattern data and every set of file pattern data.
Thus, when performing the matching process on multiple sets of target pattern data, a wasteful process, wherein the same file pattern data are transferred repeatedly from the matching controller 610 to the pattern data matching device 600, and, in the pattern data matching device 600, they are transferred repeatedly from the data inputting part 601 for storage in the file pattern data storing part 604, must be carried out, leading to the drawback of lower efficiency.